Mills



(No Model.)

H. J. WILLIAMS.'

DEVICE PoR PBBDING ORANGBS 0R SIMILAR FRUIT. No. 550,010. f PatentedNov. 19, 1895.

///IHII z gg Q @w114/MIM UNITED STATES PATENT Or rien.

HUMPHREY J. IVILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK MILLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO SAMUEL CAMPBELL VARNER, OF SAME PLACE.

mavlcE FOR FEEDING QRANGESQR SIMILAR FRUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 550,010, datedNovember 19, i895.

Application fled September l, 1 890. Serial Np. 363,675. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, `IIUMPHREY J. WIL- LIAMs, of New York Mills, in thecounty of Oneida and State of New York,have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Feeding Oranges or Simi/lar Fruit;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for feeding oranges or similar fruitsat regular intervals, and is adapted to be used in connection with awrapping or brushing machine or other similar mechanism.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification,and in which simiv lar letters and figures of reference refer to likeFig. 4 shows the device in perspective, a por-- tion being broken out toreduce the size of the figure. Fig. 5 shows a vertical central sectionof the device. Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing a section of a tubularpocket, the section being taken on a plane with line y of Fig. 5, theedge of which is parallel with the diameter of the shell of the device.

Referring more specifically to the referencenumerals marked on thedrawings, l indicates a` conical-shaped shell or carrier having one sideopen at 2 and the other closed by a diaphragm or end plate 3. To thediaphragm is secured on the inside a plate 4 and on the outsideradiating ribs 5 5 to give strength and solidity to the structure, andthe whole is mounted on a shaft or gudgeon 6.

The diaphragm or plate 3 is provided with a series of openings arounditscircumference, (indicated by 7 7 7, &c.,) and on the outer side of theplate 3 are secured (one for each opening) a number of short tubularpockets 8, which surround the opening and are flush with one side of theopening and are secured at a point va little removed from the other sideof the opening 7, as indicated at c in Fig. (i and shown by the dottedlines in Fig. 2, also at The pockets 8 all incline inwardly toward theshaft or axial rline from their point of attachment to the diaphragm orend plate. At the outside of Ythe diaphragm or end plate 3 the shell isprovided with a circumferential enlargement 9, which answers the purposeof deepening the pockets formed adjacent to the plate of the shell forpurposes hereinafter set forth. A t l0 is indicated the delivery-chuteof this feeding device, and 1l is aretainingwall to which it is afxed,andin close proximity to which retaining wall or surface the open-endsof the tubular pockets on the upper half of the device run. The openside 2 of the device is to run against an opening in the side of a bin,preferably having an inclined bottom, inclining toward the device, sothat the fruit contained in the bin will move by its own gravity intothe open end of the device, as indicated at a in Fig. 5.

The device in operation is slowly rotated in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 2. As the openings 7 are at the bottom, as the devicerevolves the fruit rolls into the pockets, one article in each pocket,and as 'the device continues to rotate they are cutv o or separated fromthe remaining fruit by the edge (shown at a) of the diaphragm or plate 3and retained in the pocket and thus carried by the carrier upward towardthe deliverychute l0. As they pass above the horizontal plane throughthe axis of the device, they roll to the outer end of the tubular pocket8 and are retained therein by wall or surface 1l, the fruit rolling inlcontact with wall 1l until it reaches the top of the machine, and whenthe tubular pocket 8 containing the fruit registers with the opening inthe wall 1l at which the chute 10 is provided the fruit rolls out of thetube or pocket 8 and is delivered from the chute l0. Y

Each pocket as it travels from its lowest position to its highestposition carries an article of fruit as long as they are fed to themachine, and that without injury or bruising the fruit in any wise.

The deeper portion 9 of the device deepens IOO the pocket just outsideofthe diaphragm or end plate, thus very readily retaining a singlearticle of fruit in each pocket as it starts from its lower position totravel upward.

It is evident that the shell portion l of the device might be madecylindrical instead of conical, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, andthe whole device mounted on an inclined shaft or gudgeon and accomplishsubstantially the same result; but I prefer the construction described;and other variations in and from the construction described may be madewithout departing from the equivalents of my construction.

NVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in afeeding device of a circular shell mounted to berotated about a substantially horizontal axis, a plate having openingsaround its circumference secured to and closing one end ofthe shell,tubular elevator pockets secured at one end to the plate on the outerside and surrounding the openings therein and inclined inwardly towardthe axial line of the shell and the wall or surface, in close proximityto which the outer ends of the pockets move, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a feeding device having a circular shell adaptedto be rotated, a plate closing one end of the shell having openingsaround its circumference, inwardly inclined tubular pockets secured tothe plate surrounding the openings and the circumferential enlargementoutside of the diaphragm plate whereby the pockets are deepened,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a feeding device of a circular shell, means forrotating the circular shell on its horizontal axis, a plate secured inand closing one end of the shell and having openings around itscircumference, inwardly inclined tubular elevator pockets secured to theouter side of the plate surrounding the openin gs, substantially as setforth.

4E. The combination in a feeding device of a circular shell, a diaphragmplate closing one end of the shell having a series of openings aroundits circumference, the inwardly inclined tubular pockets secured on theoutside of the diaphragm plate surrounding the openings therein andhaving a portion of the plate projecting between the point where thetube engages the plate and the edge of the opening in the plate,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a feeding device of a circular shell, incliningtubular pockets sccured around the circumference of the shell and theprojecting edge at the end of the pocket adjacent to the shell,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof l have aiiixedmy signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HUMPI-IREY J. VILLIADIS.

Witnesses:

S. CAMPBELL WARNER, LAWRENCE BLACK.

